


Candids

by captainsourwolf



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: 90's AU, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Early 20’s Rhink, Eventual Smut, First Time, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Photographer!Rhett, Sexual Tension, Slow Build, and rhett is the photographer at all his shoots, candids, fashion model!link, link is a great model, polaroids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-01-27 02:04:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21384289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainsourwolf/pseuds/captainsourwolf
Summary: Rhett is a photographer fresh out of SCAD. He lands his first gig soon after graduation, just a simple print ad for a high school advertising their new senior class wear. At the shoot he meets in-demand fashion model Link Neal. It's tense from the start. Rhett ends up being his photographer on most of his shoots, and at every single one Rhett starts a collection of candid shots that he keeps for himself, in a box of trinkets he finds comforting.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 101
Kudos: 127





	1. Buies Creek High

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by those polaroids of the BC merch that some lucky mythical beasts will be receiving in their mailbox. I immediately imagined Rhett as a photographer in the 90's and Link as the fashion model. Candids are always taken at the shoots, which is how Rhett ended up with those polaroids of Link in different situations. I've added some of my own that I like to imagine Rhett would have taken to keep for himself.
> 
> ENJOY! 
> 
> PS: SCAD is Savannah School of Art and Design

In the summer of ‘96, photographer Rhett McLaughlin, fresh out of SCAD, lands his first job. It’s in the small town of Buies Creek, North Carolina, a sleepy place with a small population. He’s ecstatic to be receiving a job this fast after graduation, even if it’s for a high school print ad for the senior class to advertise the new schoolwear.

He arrives on the longest, hottest day of the summer to Buies Creek High, already sweating as he carries his things through the school parking lot. His assistant Jenna complains loudly about the heat, trudging behind Rhett and carrying a couple of bags. Rhett laughs at her and shakes his head. Being born and bred in Georgia, he’s used to the temperature.

The high school isn’t big by any means but it’s big enough for this size town. There’s already a crew setting up under the awning of the school’s entrance and Rhett can see the models lounging around in various states of undress under shaded tents. As he approaches, a girl with sleek red hair being swept up into a scrunchie winks at him. He blushes, but doesn’t reciprocate. The other models are being guided into different styles of clothing, all donning the royal blue and gold colors of the school.

Jenna drops her bags next to the chair labeled _photographer_. Rhett thanks her, smiling big and broad. She rolls her eyes, wipes the sweat off her face, and disappears to the white tent set up in the faculty parking lot. Rhett watches her go with a fond shake of his head. 

While he works to get everything set up the models start milling around, some of them finding the shadiest spot, others just wandering. Rhett glances at them over the top of his camera, taking in every single one, making notes in his head about who would look best together or alone. He’s adjusting a few things here and there, almost ready and just waiting for the shoot director, when one more person walks on set. 

It must be the last model because nobody looks that good just walking around. He’s tall, but shorter than Rhett, and sporting the BC Class of ‘96 sweatshirt that a few others are wearing. His hair is dark and swept back over his head with too much gel, a few pieces lingering over his forehead and over bright blue eyes. He spots Rhett staring and smirks, before waltzing off to a spot under the awning.

Rhett sucks in a breath and shakes his head. He cautiously watches the guy as he interacts with the redhead from earlier, touches her elbow here, brushes his fingertips over her wrist there. The girl giggles and flips her ponytail, pops her gum obnoxiously, shifts around like she’s trying to show off. Rhett rolls his eyes and huffs. If he were so inclined, he would find the girl attractive in her plaid skirt and Buies Creek High School Devils tee that’s bundled up on her waist, showing off a strip of pale skin. But he’s not.

The shoot director, Matt, comes over and claps his hands, calling everyone’s attention. Rhett snaps to, dragging his eyes away from the other guy to focus on the director. He attentively listens to the instructions for the first set up of the day and pretends not to notice the blue eyes boring into the side of his head.

Jenna reappears just in time for the first set up. She helps Rhett line up the shot while the models are put in poses that best show off the school wear. After a few moments everything’s ready and he’s making the first shot. The director wants more so Rhett adjusts and waits for the models to be posed differently. While he waits he scans the area and finds a smirk and crossed arms, leaning against the brick wall out of frame, watching and waiting. 

Rhett swallows hard. The models are ready so he shifts his focus back to them. Matt keeps it going smoothly for several minutes, and then it’s time for the next group. Blue eyes struts into frame and goes where he’s directed; he ends up leaning on his shoulder on the brick wall under the school name, hip cocked, and hands in his pockets. He’s turned towards the camera enough to show off the sweatshirt and Rhett can’t help but admire his lean frame. The guy is sexy and he _knows it_.

The shoot lasts for another hour before break is called. Rhett is sweating profusely by now, whether it’s from the sun beating down on them or the blue eyed stare that’s been directed his way all morning, or both, he isn’t sure. But when break is called he sighs in relief and shoves his sweaty hair out of his face; it’s times like these he regrets growing his hair and beard out. He almost wishes he could shave it all off right here and now just for some relief. 

Rhett is just sitting down in his chair, accepting a bottle of water from Jenna gratefully before she wanders off, when a shadow falls over him. He glances up and is surprised to be met with blue eyes himself. He stands there with his hands in his pockets and the sleeves of the sweatshirt pushed up, a pair of glasses perched on his nose that were not there when he appeared earlier. This time he’s smiling as he stares at Rhett, and he seems unfazed by the heat save for the pink coloring his cheeks.

“Hey, I’m Link,” he says brightly, pulling his hand out of his pocket to stick it in front of him. 

Rhett has to take a drink of his water first, or else he’s going to combust just from the smooth southern accent and slight lisp being directed at him. When he’s done he screws the cap on and takes Link’s hand, grimacing at how sweaty his own is, and shakes it. 

“Rhett,” he responds in a voice rougher than he’d like to admit. He clears his throat and Link’s smile widens. 

“You new? Never seen you at anythin’ before.” Link rucks up the sleeves of the sweater when they fall, and immediately Rhett’s gaze is drawn to the movement; just as quickly he’s looking back at Link’s face. 

Rhett has to clear his throat again before he can speak. What the _hell_? He hopes nobody notices how flushed his cheeks are or the way he can’t stop fidgeting in his seat. Hopefully if they see they will think it’s just from the heat, the uncomfortable amount of sweat sticking to everybody’s skin, and not the way Link’s looking at him. 

“Uh, yeah, fresh outta Savannah.” He fidgets again and downs the rest of his water to give him a distraction. Link scuffles the toes of his white shoes on the pavement absently. “Got my degree, got this job right after graduation.”

Link nods, “Oh, cool, that’s great, so soon after graduating.” He shrugs and keeps smiling. Rhett opens his mouth to respond, but the redhead bounces up to them, popping a bubblegum bubble, hair now styled in a blue headband to match the school colors. Her overalls are undone over a cut off Buies Creek tee, showing off too much pale skin for a high school ad. She clings to Link’s arm and he awkwardly shrugs her off, to which she frowns. But soon enough her bubbly smile is back.

“Come on, Link, everyone’s waiting!” 

Link rolls his eyes at Rhett when she turns her head to shout at someone over her shoulder. Rhett stifles his laugh and watches the girl drag Link off on stumbling feet. He feels a pair of eyes on him as he does, and without looking knows it’s Jenna. 

“Rhett, do you know who that _is_?” she whispers excitedly at his side. Rhett turns towards her, shaking his head, intrigued. “That’s _Link Neal_, 90’s fashion _god_! He modeled for Calvin Klein last year and ever since everybody wants him!” She seems excited that Rhett’s apparently been talking to a god among the fashion industry. 

“Really?” he questions and looks back to where Link was dragged off. He’s talking now to a group of girls and guys alike at the catering tent, hands animated as he talks and laughs. Rhett frowns. He seems so normal. Hot, yes, but _normal_. “He doesn’t look like a ‘fashion god’,” he quotes at Jenna, laughing when she smacks his shoulder. 

“Well, he is!” She sighs dreamily and hugs his arm, staring over his head at Link and the other models. “I’d jump those bones in a heartbeat if given the chance.”

Rhett splutters, “Jenna!” on a surprised laugh. She smacks him again and huffs. 

“You would, too, if you were in my shoes, Rhett.” Jenna lets go of him and sits in the chair next to his. “According to Tiger Beat he’s single.” Rhett raises an eyebrow in her general direction but she’s not paying him any attention. He hears loud laughter suddenly and when he glances over his shoulder it’s Link, head thrown back, mouth open as he laughs at something someone said. The sound hits Rhett like a ton of bricks. 

Jenna sighs next to him. “He’s not that great,” Rhett grumbles. But the fluttering of butterflies in his stomach says otherwise.

She scoffs and hits his arm for a third time. Rhett winces and rubs the sore spot that’s beginning to bloom on his shoulder. “He’s dreamy,” she sighs, louder this time, and leans on her elbow to stare across the parking lot. “And look at that ass in those jeans!” 

“Oh, my god,” Rhett groans. He gets out of his chair, laughing at the expression on Jenna’s face, and walks off to leave her to her daydreams. There’s not much time left in their break and he’d like to get at least some kind of snack in him. 

As he’s foraging in the catering tent he can’t help but think about Jenna’s words. Link is dreamy. His smile is happy and his hair is perfect, even now after working in such awful heat all morning, and well, his ass is pretty perfect in those jeans. Rhett scolds himself and goes back to finding something to snack on before the break is over. 

*

The rest of the shoot flies by. Rhett feels like his fingers are going to fall off from snapping so many pictures, but the director and the senior class president wanted plenty of options. He helped pose all the different groups and pairings, selected the ones that would be best on their own--mostly Link--and tried not to pass out from the heat. As the day wore on, the temperature only increased. 

Eventually the director yells for the end of the gig. Rhett is grateful and happy to finally be able to pack everything up and get to a place with air conditioning. Jenna helps him meticulously take down all his equipment while the rest of the crew disassembles the school props and extra lights, as well as the tents. It’s work that takes an extra half hour, but finally they find themselves finished and ready to leave.

The models are still hanging around, some of them still in their BC schoolwear that the director allowed them to keep. Link is one of them, lounging under the awning at the front of the school. He’s propped against the brick wall, one leg bent at the knee in front of him, hands clasped around his shin. He looks casual, relaxed, his head turned talking to someone. Rhett is struck by the sudden urge to snap a picture, but he can’t with his camera already put away. 

Matt the director walks over to him and pats him on the back, snapping him out of his daze. Rhett takes the job well done compliment with a humble thanks. Before Matt walks away he hands a Polaroid camera to Rhett. Confused, he stares at it then at the other man.

“We like to get candid shots of the models at shoots. Usually after the job is done and they’re waiting around for their paychecks. You’re the photographer, so _go_, shoot.” Matt pats him on the shoulder once more then stalks off, shouting something or another at one of the crew members. 

Rhett stares at the camera for a few more seconds, then automatically heads for his first destination. Link doesn’t see him approach so he raises the camera, frames it just right, and takes the first candid shot. The shutter makes a loud noise and the film begins to print. As soon as it’s done Rhett holds it carefully between his thumb and forefinger to watch it develop. 

“Hey, you takin’ candids?” 

Rhett jerks in surprise at the sound of Link’s voice. He looks away from the polaroid in his grip, only to see Link strutting towards him, face set in a smirk and eyes bright. Rhett hides the picture in his pocket. He stops right in front of Rhett, cheeks scrunching a little from the sun shining on their faces. Rhett nods and swallows past the lump in his throat, raises the camera, and takes another one. 

Link’s smirk grows. He shoves his hands in his pockets, cocks his head slightly, and considers Rhett for a moment. The photo prints and almost falls to the ground as they stare at each other, but Rhett has fast reflexes and catches it in time. Link reaches out and plucks it from his fingers to watch it develop. 

“Looks good, Rhett. You gotta good eye,” Link says softly, handing the photo back to Rhett. “Keep it.” He steps closer, photo between his fingers, waiting.

Rhett takes it with a shaking hand, ignores the tingling when Link’s fingertips brush his, and pockets it carefully with the other. Pulse racing, Rhett smiles and raises the Polaroid once more. Link laughs, he aims and shoots, and another image prints. 

He doesn’t want to make it obvious what he’s doing, not in a place like this, so he walks around to the remaining models and takes many snapshots. The ones of Link are burning a hole in his pocket and so are Link’s eyes on his face as he moves from one group to another. 

Rhett doesn’t take long to get the candids, and when he’s done it’s only been another fifteen or so minutes, most of the models having already gathered their things to leave. He collects the polaroids to take to Matt and return the camera. Jenna is waiting on him at the pile of their things, ready to leave once he’s done. 

“Have fun?” Jenna asks. She begins loading up their bags on her shoulders, Rhett taking the majority of it, and starts the trek to the car. Rhett can only nod.

As soon as they are finished loading everything up, Rhett scans the area one more time. Link is gone, as well as the other models and most of the crew. He frowns, but remembers the polaroids in his back pocket. Hastily he gets them out and takes his first look at the top one.

The image makes his breath hitch in his throat. Link’s expression is intense, eyes squinted a little in the sun, mouth drawn up in a smirk. It screams a promise of _later_ that has Rhett sucking in a breath. He has to remind himself that he won’t see Link later, but at least he has the photo. He doesn’t need to see the other one to know it’s just as stunning.

“Rhett, come on, it’s hot as balls in here,” Jenna shouts inside the car. 

Rhett puts the photos back in place in his pocket and gets in to start the car. 

“What were you lookin’ at?” Jenna asks, barely looking at him in favor of turning the air conditioner on full blast.

Rhett shakes his head. 

“Nothing, it was nothin’.”


	2. Nickelodeon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the love y'all!! It means a lot and I'm glad y'all are enjoying it. Someone asked a question about their age on the 1st chapter, so lemme just say it here: they're about 21-23. Young but old enough. 
> 
> Thanks to Em, as usual, for being my constant companion during these things because I have ZERO self-control <3

A month later Rhett is lugging his equipment to a photoshoot in Raleigh, Jenna by his side as usual. She’s huffing in the awful humidity as they make their trek from the car to the steps behind the quaint little studio they were called to on the outskirts of town.

The call came two weeks ago about a shoot promoting the new line of Nickelodeon wear. Rhett was excited to say the least. As a young adult he’s spent many a night eating cereal for supper and watching his favorite cartoons. So when the call came, he accepted it readily and dialed Jenna. Driving from Georgia meant planning a few days ahead, but once the day came, everything was in place and the both of them ready. 

The summer heat is still stifling, even in the early morning. There was a storm the night before that shot the humidity levels to an all time high for the month and made things worse. Rhett can hardly breathe as he and Jenna carry the bags up a set of stairs behind the studio, Jenna grumbling under her breath. 

“Rhett, I love you, you’re my best friend and I’m the best assistant ever,” she huffs and has to stop to catch her breath, “but I can’t wait for you to hit it big so we can hire someone else.” 

“Well don’t get your hopes up too soon,” he laughs. Jenna huffs again and hurries up the last few steps, stopping next to him on the top stoop. “I’m sure it’s cooler inside, come on.” He holds the door open for her and she goes inside gratefully, nearly dropping their things right inside the door.

Rhett follows behind, the air conditioned studio a welcome relief. The studio is small on the inside with only a couple of doors visible and most of the room being taken up by professional lights and backdrops, various props and clothes racks off to the side. People are already running around the set, some of them yelling across the room, others looking frantic and panicked. 

“What’s going on?” Jenna whispers to Rhett. 

Before Rhett can answer, a blonde woman wearing a backwards cap runs up to them with a clipboard in her hands. She looks panicked when she reaches them. “You the photographer, uh—” she glances at her clipboard, “Rhett McLaughlin?”

Rhett nods, confused. “Uh, yeah. What’s going on?” he asks. She scribbles something down with her pen and then grabs his arm.

“I’m Stevie. Sorry about this,” she says and practically drags him along with all his things, Jenna scrambling to keep up and almost tripping over cords along the way. “One of the models got wasted last night and didn’t show up, so now everyone is freaking out trying to get the replacement here on such short notice.”

Rhett nods along like he knows what she’s talking about in such a rush. She leads them to where he’s supposed to set up then stomps off, yelling at someone about lighting and green slime. A bag drops beside him heavily and Jenna sighs.

As they unpack and set up, the panic in the studio dies down. Stevie runs around with her clipboard directing people where to go and dragging a couple of the models around by the elbow. He laughs as he watches her and is glad that isn’t his job. Being the photographer is easy: he arrives, sets up, snaps photos, and goes. There’s more to it, of course, but at the end of the day he’s not the one running everything. 

“I’m gonna go find the restroom, be right back,” Jenna says to him. Rhett waves her off over his shoulder, too focused on looking through the lens to make sure it’s lined up properly with the set. 

Rhett’s so into what he’s doing he doesn’t notice the footsteps stopping beside him until a throat clears. Thinking it’s Jenna back so soon, he continues fiddling with the lens and says, “Hand me that cloth, please, the lens is dirty or somethin’.” He points in the general direction of his messenger bag only for his hand to knock into a chest that definitely doesn’t belong to Jenna.

Startled, Rhett jerks upright and whips his head around to see who’s standing there. He expects a crew member, maybe Stevie, but instead he finds _Link_. Wide eyed, Rhett stammers out an apology and Link laughs, loud and bright. Rhett steps back from the camera, takes him in subtly. He’s wearing bright green shorts, a blue shirt with one of the planets adorning the chest tucked into the elastic waistband, and purple glasses. 

Confused and a little intrigued, Rhett gestures to the entirety of the outfit, all the way down to the untied red Chuck Taylors. “Who are you reppin’?” he asks. 

“Chuckie, from the Rugrats,” Link answers. He pushes the glasses up his nose when they slip. Rhett swallows, tries not to think about how attractive he is in something so _cute_. 

“I’m more of a Ren and Stimpy fan myself,” Rhett chuckles. Link scuffs his shoe on the concrete floor, shrugging. “Don’t think I’ve watched, uh, Rugrats.”

“Me either, this is what they put me in.” Link rolls his eyes and sighs audibly. “Apparently we’re doing Rugrats first, but our Phil got drunk last night and didn’t show up this mornin’, so here we are. Stevie’s freakin’ out, it’s kinda fun to watch.” 

A surprised laugh bursts out of Rhett. Someone walking past glances at him curiously but keeps going when he waves them off. He watches them to make sure they’re gone before turning back to Link and smiling broadly. But Link has shuffled closer in his inattention, close enough Rhett can reach out and touch, maybe. 

“You still got those polaroids?” Link asks, voice low so anybody that might pass by won’t hear.

Rhett swallows hard then clears his throat. If he’s honest with himself he hasn’t been able to _stop_ thinking about those polaroids. He has them tucked away in a wooden box where he likes to keep trinkets, things he finds comforting. It’s nothing, he tells himself, but he often finds that he likes taking them out and looking at them, remembering that first job fondly. It has _nothing_ to do with Link. Nothing at all.

Clearly Link remembers that day, too. He’s chewing on his bottom lip and shoving the glasses up his nose again, cheeks flushing a pretty pink the longer Rhett waits to answer. He shuffles back some but Rhett stops him with a hand on his wrist. 

“Yeah, Link, I still have them,” he answers in a rush. Remembering where they are, Rhett drops Link’s wrist and, wide eyed, backs up. Any other time, a place more private, he wouldn’t be afraid to step a little closer, but this is a job and Link is the model, and people aren’t exactly understanding in this day and age. 

Jenna comes walking across the room, smile spreading across her face when she sees Link standing with Rhett. Rhett smiles softly at Link, but Link has looked away, cheeks blushing red now, hands buried in the pockets of his shorts. It stings a little thinking he hurt his feelings, but he doesn’t know Link and Link doesn’t know him. They’re strangers, and even in a perfect world this couldn’t happen. 

“Oh, my gosh, hi,” Jenna squeaks. She hits Rhett on the shoulder and points to Link. “Rhett, why didn’t you tell me we were photographing _Link Neal_ again?” She hits him a second time then reaches a hand out, blushing a bright red. 

Laughing, Link shakes her hand, looking away from Rhett. She’s about to say something else, hopefully without a hit to Rhett’s arm, when Stevie yells “Places!” to their right. Link drops her hand, avoids Rhett’s gaze, and goes.

Rhett blinks rapidly, suddenly noticing the other people filtering onto the brightly colored set. The other models are being put into place by one of the crew members, Link not far behind as he’s dragged by the elbow and told where to stand. 

They all look good, standing on their white x markers dressed like a group of cartoon characters, like this is where they belong. Rhett puts them into frame, ignoring the way Link’s blue eyes are burning behind the purple glasses, and takes a few test shots. The lighting will need to be adjusted and one of the girls are off center, but he’s glad for the distraction, glad for something else to focus on that isn’t Link’s stare.

The things that need to be fixed are done quickly, and Rhett can get back to work. While he works he occasionally glances at Link over the top of the camera. He’s a natural, even with a bright orange backdrop and Nickelodeon splashed across it in white letters. He moves with ease around the others, running circles around them with his talent; smiling when he’s supposed to, laughing when he’s cued, and posing when Stevie points to him. Rhett could watch him all day. 

The shoot lasts for the entire morning, groups changing in and out of different Nickelodeon themed outfits, lighting being changed, and props coming in. Rhett doesn’t remember a set being so chaotic during his schooling, even during his internship with a local group, but he loves it. He wouldn’t trade this for the world.

By the time the last rotation is over Rhett is giddy and exhausted. It’s been a long morning of Stevie yelling and models moving on and off set, a multitude of things to keep him on his toes. He has to sink into his chair for a few moments before he can even think about disassembling his gear, and as he’s sighing, elbows on his knees and enjoying the rest, a pair of tennis shoes line up with his. 

“Tired?”

Rhett grins to himself where Link can’t see, the apprehension from earlier melting away for just a moment. He sits back, schools his expression into a calm one, and considers Link for a second. He looks just as tired as Rhett feels, standing above him in his plaid shirt unbuttoned over an orange tie-dye tee and ripped jeans. He’s holding a Polaroid camera in his hand, stretched towards Rhett, urging him to take it. 

“More candids?” Rhett asks as he takes the camera. Link nods, smiles at him, and trots off to join the group still standing around. He doesn’t seem to be affected in any way, seems indifferent almost from their previous interaction, as he starts up a conversation with one of the girls. 

Rhett stands and his entire body creaks and groans from exhaustion. Jenna laughs at his misfortune from her perch on an empty light case. He doesn’t have it in him to flip her off, so he just goes, camera in hand, and finds his first subject.

The girl shoots him a flirty smile that he ignores in favor of snapping her photo. He moves to the next, then the next, polaroids piling up on a table behind him, until he’s found Link through the viewfinder. This time Link is talking animatedly with another guy, hands flying in the air, smile on his face. Rhett captures the sight before Link realizes he’s there. 

By the time he’s done Rhett has collected a mass amount of polaroids. Most of them are of Link, but he knows Link is popular and can use that as his excuse if anybody were to ask. He shuffles through the snapshots until he finds one he likes—Link with his hip cocked and his arms in the air, carefree grin on his face, and a tantalizing amount of skin showing between the bottom of the shirt and the top of his pants—and sticks it in his back pocket. 

“Found one ya like?”

Rhett nearly jumps out of his skin. He spins around and finds Link standing there, plaid shirt now gone and shoes hanging from one hand. Blushing, Rhett nods sheepishly. Link holds his free hand out, waggling his fingers at Rhett, a clear signal he wants to see. 

“Lemme see, man,” Link laughs. Rhett takes the polaroid out and hands it over, hoping nobody else has noticed. Link stares at the photo in his palm, fond smile on his lips, his own cheeks turning pink, too. “Good one. I look silly, though.” He runs his thumb over the edge of the photo, turning his gaze up to Rhett. 

Chest tight, Rhett shakes his head. “No, you look great,” he admits softly. Link’s smile turns predatory, all softness from his features gone, and Rhett has to stifle a groan lest someone else hear and figure him out.

Looking around, Link drops his shoes and grabs Rhett by the wrist. Rhett goes willingly, hoping no one notices how hot his cheeks are, until he’s being dragged into a dressing room, door closing. The lights are too bright and the room is kind of small, but he doesn’t care. Link is crowding close, lips parted, eyes staring straight into Rhett’s. He licks his lips and Rhett is drawn to the movement. 

“I see the way you look at me,” Link murmurs. He takes one final step towards Rhett, chests touching, arm reaching around to tuck the photo into his back pocket. Rhett sucks in a breath at the feel of Link’s hand in his pocket, fingertips grazing his ass through the material, light and teasing. “Saw it last month, too.”

“Oh yeah?” Rhett asks, voice low. “And how’s that?” 

Link rises up on his toes with a hand on Rhett’s chest, presses close, close enough for their lips to touch when Link speaks again.

“Like you want me.” 

Shuddering hard, Rhett leans closer, hands coming up to cradle Link’s cheeks, parting his lips to kiss Link. He’s ready for it, can feel Link’s breath hot on his face, and when they finally do, just a light press, his nerves light up. Link moans softly and Rhett goes to deepen the kiss, but a knock on the door startles them both, Stevie’s voice yelling on the other side for Link.

Rhett jerks back and drops his hands like he’s been burned, suddenly, acutely aware that anybody could have been in here, anybody could have walked through the door and found them. Link is smirking at him, still standing too close, unaffected by Rhett’s internal panic. When he finally moves out of Rhett’s space it’s with a pat to his chest and a kiss on his cheek. 

“Next time,” he says, too close to Rhett’s ear, lips brushing over the curve of it, and opens the door behind Rhett, stepping around him carefully, then closing it.

Rhett _thunks_ his head on the door, curses, and wonders when next time will be.


	3. Seventeen Magazine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the continued love you guys!!!! <3333

For days all Rhett can think about is Link. Every waking moment has been spent imagining blue eyes and broad shoulders and those lips on his. The drive home from Raleigh was spent in silence for the most part, Jenna sleeping through the majority of the ride, and Rhett with Link on his mind. The arrival home after dropping Jenna off at her small apartment meant he was left alone to think and think some more. 

He couldn’t help it. Link is intoxicating and they’ve only met twice. Just the brush of his lips against Rhett’s had his pulse racing and his body thrumming with a visceral need for more. It was a startling realization figuring out he wanted more from a guy he’d only met twice, but he didn’t care. Rhett wanted it to continue, wanted to see Link again and soon. But the only way to see Link is to be on the set, and to be on the same set as Link means being lucky enough to get jobs.

Rhett is fresh meat in the photography world. These fashion gigs are a way to get him started and headed towards bigger and better things, but the freshies, as his college roommate Gregg called new graduates, were often left in the dust for people with more experience. Although the way Jenna was gushing over Link, maybe this would be _the_ way to get those jobs. People would see his name in the magazines as the photographer responsible for making Link Neal look good.

The first few days and nights after the Nickelodeon shoot have Rhett sleeping restlessly and fidgeting around his apartment for something to keep his hands busy. The new polaroid has been stored in the box with the other two, calling his name and begging him to look at them. But he knows if he takes them out he’s going to be sent into a downward spiral involving nothing but Link fucking Neal. 

By the fifth day, Rhett is on edge. He’s itching for a call to come through for a job. More than that he wants to take the polaroids out. Feeling restless, he grabs his trinket box and opens it, all three photos sitting on top, Link’s face a breath of fresh air after so many days of not seeing him. The top one is the most recent with Link in his Nickelodeon style and his carefree smile stretched across his face. He takes the other two out and carries them to his desk, considering them.

Rhett doesn’t want to get caught in an obsessive, downward spiral. This isn’t the time or the place, the people aren’t accepting, he’s not even sure himself if he’s more inclined towards men or women. But Link isn’t just an ordinary person. He’s magnetic without trying to be, he’s a force all his own, he’s sexy and Rhett wants in on that. He’s sure of that at least. No matter how he can get the other man, Rhett wants to be in Link’s presence.

He spreads the photos out and stares at them for a few moments. Each one is special and shows off the personality Rhett has only had a glimpse of. He can’t pick a favorite, doesn’t think he would ever be able to pick one. After a few more minutes of perusing the photos he takes out a sharpie and labels each one carefully, dating them so he won’t forget.

With a sigh, Rhett caps the marker, puts the candids away, and flops onto his bed.

*  
Rhett is awoken on the sixth morning to his phone ringing shrilly from the kitchen. Groaning, he rolls out of bed, sunlight already streaming in through the curtains, and stumbles into the other room to answer it. He almost misses but manages to grab the phone before the ringing stops. This early on a Saturday it better be good.

“Hel-”

“Rhett you’re up!” It’s Jenna and she’s speaking in a high pitched voice, clearly excited about something. “Have you unpacked your equipment from the last trip?!” she asks, a little calmer. 

Rhett guiltily glances over at his equipment still sitting by the door, mostly packed from their Raleigh trip. The only thing not still in a bag is his camera and it’s sitting mostly untouched on his kitchen table. He would feel guilty but he’s been a funk and has only managed cleaning it, not using it. 

“Nevermind, just get packed!”

_What_?

“Jenna, slow down, why do I need to pack?” Rhett twirls the phone cord around his fingers, suddenly anxious. 

“Because I got a call this morning lookin’ for you, from fucking Seventeen Magazine, Rhett! Their guy cancelled at the last minute so they came lookin’ for you after seeing your work on the BC print,” Jenna is practically squealing by now. 

Rhett sinks heavily into a kitchen chair, not believing the words coming out of her mouth. “What? Are you sure its _the_ Seventeen Magazine?” he asks in a shaky voice. 

Jenna laughs on the other end of the line. “Yes! It’s THE Seventeen Magazine!”

Rhett jumps out of his chair in excitement, the last few days forgotten for now. He accidentally hangs up on her in his rush but figures she’ll be fine, she understands. He slams the phone back on its hook and quickly runs from the room to pack his things.

*  
The shoot for Seventeen Magazine arrives in two days. Rhett had only a few hours to pack, pick up Jenna, and get to the airport where two tickets were waiting for them on a flight to New York City. By the time they arrived it was middle of the night and they were exhausted. They settled into their hotel room not far from the shoot location, Rhett anxious and Jenna excited.

Once the day arrives Rhett is a nervous wreck. This is only his third job since graduating and he’s thankful it’s a big one, but also terrified he’s going to screw it up. He can’t stop wondering how he was lucky enough to get such a high profile shoot under his belt this soon, but he’s glad nonetheless. He knows there are plenty of others out there more worthy than him, graduated with some of those people in fact. 

The shoot location is only a few blocks from the hotel. Rhett helps Jenna load everything up into a car that’s waiting at exactly eight a.m. and, both of them nervous, ride the short trek to a back alley behind what seems to be a fancy restaurant. He read about the concept for the shoot, how many models there would be, what they would be wearing, but he didn’t think there would be so many people scrambling around. 

When they step out of the car Rhett is immediately greeted with a short woman with faded blue hair. She introduces herself as Ellie, shakes his hand and Jenna’s, then leads them to the set up. The lighting is already being adjusted for the scene while various crew members run around, some of them obviously stressed about one thing or another. The morning is a gloomy one, something Rhett isn’t looking forward to, but at least there’s plenty of artificial light in the alley. 

A man comes up behind him with his things in tow and Jenna jumps in to help. Rhett takes one bag after another from her and begins the tedious task of setting everything up for the shoot. While he works the models start to trickle in, appearing from a door off to the right with a neon sign hanging over it. It looks to be a bar, maybe, or a shop of some sort. They’re all made up in leather jackets and ripped jeans, hair wild on some and more tame on others. 

Just as Rhett is finishing up and getting the camera ready the door opens one more time. He glances up when it slams and ends up doing a double take. There’s Link, walking down the steps, squinting at the overhead lights. He doesn’t see Rhett, but Rhett is immediately drawn to him. Out of all the models he looks the best. His black leather jacket fits perfectly over his arms and shoulders, white t-shirt underneath clinging to his torso; the red plaid shirt tied around his high waisted jeans compliments the entire outfit, and his black Chuck’s are scuffed purposefully. 

Rhett has to swallow, finds his throat suddenly dry, and turns to dig around in his messenger bag for his bottle of water. Jenna watches him in confusion when he nearly chokes on his water. She pats him on the back and is opening her mouth to say something, probably wondering why he’s such a dumbass sometimes, when a laugh catches her attention behind him.

“It’s Link!! Rhett, did you know he was on this shoot?” Jenna pats him on the back one more time and leaves him to suffer alone. “God, _look_ at him. His ass was made for those jeans,” she whispers to Rhett, still staring at Link across the alley. 

“Jenna!” Rhett groans and swats at her. She laughs, lighthearted, and swats him back. 

“Well, I’m not wrong am I?” She asks, eyebrow raised. Rhett stares at her, at the challenge on her face, pulse picking up speed and sweat breaking out on his upper lip. Does she know? He can’t help but think she’s figured him out, that he’s thinking those same thoughts as well, that she knows he’s been thinking about Link for days. “I mean, everyone with eyes wants to get in those pants, Rhett! Don’t judge me.”

Rhett sighs in relief. Jenna nudges him with her elbow and points over his shoulder. Rhett stands to full height, hands dropping from his camera, and sees Link striding over. He smiles big and broad when he sees Rhett’s face.

“Rhett, Jenna, you’re back!” Link raises his hand in a surprised wave and comes to stand next to them. Jenna giggles beside Rhett. “Sorry about the other guy, but I’m glad y’all are here.” He pointedly looks at Rhett, eyes bright and all knowing, then flicks his eyes over to Jenna. “I didn’t think when I suggested you for a replacement that they would actually consider it.”

Rhett sucks in a breath, eyes going wide as he looks at Link. He’s dead serious meeting Rhett’s gaze, not a hint of amusement anywhere. Rhett snatches his water bottle off the seat next to him and takes a long swallow to calm his nerves. He can feel Link’s blue eyed stare as he does so. 

Jenna is talking excitedly to Link and Rhett is struggling to find the words to say. Link isn’t paying much attention to her while she talks, his focus mostly on Rhett’s expression. He opens his mouth, intent on saying something to Link, to thank him or sing his praises, he doesn’t know, but someone is calling for the models to get on their marks. 

Hesitating, Link starts to speak, to say something, _anything_ Rhett hopes, and then he’s being hauled off with a hand around his elbow. Rhett watches with mouth gaped open, pulse racing. 

*

Halfway through the day the bottom drops out of the sky. It rains copious amounts and the thunder rolls in only seconds later, followed by a flash of lightning. With no warning, everything and everyone starts getting soaked in seconds. Rhett scrambles to throw plastic sheeting over his equipment while Jenna freaks out about the cords and the lights. The models are running every which way, some of them laughing and kicking up the puddles that have formed at their feet, and the others fighting to get through any open door or crew tent. 

The storm is an unfortunate circumstance but Rhett manages to get his equipment covered so he can find shelter. Shelter doesn’t matter much though after being out there for several minutes, because his clothes are soaked through and clinging within seconds. He’s separated from Jenna in his haste to find an open door or crew tent, and he ends up being yanked into one of the smallest white tents set up at the opening to the alleyway. 

Jerking in surprise, Rhett stumbles into the tent only to be met with Link. His fingers are wrapped tightly around Rhett’s forearm and squeezing. He laughs at the sight of Rhett soaked through to the bone; Rhett can’t stop himself from laughing along with him.

“Thanks,” he says softly and shakes his hair out. Droplets fly every which way. 

“No problem, man. You looked lost anyway,” Link replies, teasing. 

Rhett shakes off some more to try and get as much water off as possible. He ends up making a mess more than anything, leaving Link laughing loudly as he does so. It’s nice to hear his laugh, feels like something he didn’t know he missed until now. 

“So,” Rhett begins and sits on the edge of a table tucked into the back of the tent. Link mirrors his pose at his side. “You requested me as a replacement?”

Link shrugs and picks at his nails. He seems _shy_ all of a sudden. “Yeah, I mean, you’re great, Rhett. I saw the high school ad before it was released and it was _amazing_.” He drops his hands and taps his fingers between them, fingertips brushing Rhett’s hand. “And the Nickelodeon one was great, too. So when my agent called, pissed about the photographer, I suggested she look into you.” He shrugs and looks away. Rhett can see a blush blooming across his cheeks. 

Rhett didn’t know he was holding his breath until his lungs began to burn. He exhales sharply and, in a move that’s bold and unlike him, reaches for Link’s hand. Link whips his head around and stares at their hands touching. 

“We don’t know each other,” Rhett mutters, fixated on how big his hand is over Link’s. Link’s fingers twitch against his. “But I—” he pauses and swallows past the lump in his throat. 

Link pushes off from the table and stands in front of Rhett. “You what?” he urges, voice low. He’s standing close enough that Rhett could just reach out, tug him closer, finally kiss him properly even though he knows nothing about this man. 

“I really like you, Link,” Rhett admits quietly. “There’s something about you.” 

“That a bad thing?” Link asks and steps a little closer. 

Feeling bold, Rhett glances over Link’s shoulder, listens carefully to make sure no one else could walk in, and grasps Link’s jacket by the lapels. The leather is smooth and supple under his hands when he grips it and tugs Link forward. Link licks his lips. 

“It might be.” 

Link reaches up, hands cupping Rhett’s cheeks gently, and presses forward into a kiss. His lips are cold from the weather and his hands are shaking slightly where they hold Rhett’s face, but it’s perfect. This time it’s more than a quick brush of Link’s lips on his; it’s firmer, more persistent, Link’s tongue teasing at the seam of his lips until Rhett gasps into it and opens up. 

“We don’t know each other,” Rhett repeats when Link pulls away after a moment. 

Link rolls his eyes and kisses him again, groaning and shuffling even closer. 

“Then let’s get to know each other,” he huffs, breath warm on Rhett’s face. “Where are you staying?” 

Rhett is about to answer with the name of his hotel and room number when the shoot director starts shouting outside the tent. He jerks back and pushes Link away quickly, moment lost. Link drops his hands to his side and Rhett steps around him, out of the tent, and into the alleyway. The rain has stopped and everyone is coming back to set slowly, but Rhett is reeling. 

Jenna finds him and meets him at their station; she’s saying something that Rhett doesn’t hear. He fiddles with the camera, trying to ignore Link walking by out of the tent, and makes it a point not to look too long when Link runs a hand through his wet hair on the way to his marker. He calms his racing pulse in time to start shooting again.

Thankfully the rain holds off for the rest of the shoot for the models to be freshened up and reposed. Rhett wishes it would end faster just so he can get away from Link and his magnetic personality. A personality that’s going to get one or both of them in trouble if they aren’t careful. The thought is tempting and he _wants_ to get in trouble with Link, see how far the teasing and flirting can go, but _getting_ caught is still a terrifying idea. 

“I’ll be back, I’m goin’ to the bathroom,” Rhett tells Jenna. She nods and begins the take down as he trudges off, Link’s eyes on him the entire time.

The trip to the bathroom is short and he’s only stopped by a couple of people on his way back. They both congratulate him on a job well done with such short notice before walking off and leaving him to his trip back to help Jenna. 

When he reaches Jenna she’s taking a break from packing up. She smiles broadly when she sees him and Rhett knocks into her shoulder. “What?” he questions. Jenna reaches a hand out and in it is a polaroid. 

Breath hitching, Rhett takes the photo. In it is Link, leather jacket hanging over his shoulder, white tee clinging to him with sweat, jeans hugging his ass perfectly as he faces away from the camera, to the side. Whoever took the shot caught him mid-conversation. His profile is framed by a halo of artificial light and there’s a half smile on his face that Rhett can see as he chats with someone out of frame. 

The candid shot is breathtaking and captures Link’s model good looks naturally, but that isn’t what Rhett can focus on the most. At the bottom of the frame, in the widest part of it, is sharpie marker writing. He stares and stares for the longest time, or seems like it anyway, and doesn’t stop staring until Jenna is nudging him in the side.

“Yeah?”

“You okay?” she asks softly, concern on her face. 

Rhett nods silently and tucks the picture away in his back pocket, words racing through his mind. 

_Rhett, let’s get to know each other. Carlton Hotel room 7, Link_


	4. Carlton Hotel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so glad everyone is loving these 90’s babies! 
> 
> **it might be a couple of days before the next chapter, work is super busy this week ugh

_Rhett, let’s get to know each other. Carlton Hotel room 7, Link_

The words taunt Rhett everytime he glances at the photo laying on the nightstand. More than once tonight he’s grabbed the phone under the lamp, finger hovering over the buttons, only to slam it back down with a huff. He has rolled onto his side multiple times, flipped onto his back just as many, thrown his hands over his face, restless movements an attempt at forgetting about the words staring at him.

After an hour of flipping back and forth Rhett finally gives up and snatches the picture off the tabletop, holding it close to his face. The dim lighting of the lamp does nothing to erase the words and Link’s half-smile or his lean form. He stares hard at the bottom of the polaroid, something stirring deep, and takes in a shaky breath. His fingers are itching to call the front desk, even at such a late hour, and find the address for the Carlton Hotel. 

Finally Rhett picks up the phone and dials the desk clerk. The clock on the wall reads two a.m. and someone may not pick up fast. He’s suddenly nervous and _hopes_ someone doesn’t answer fast enough. The ringing seems to take forever, and he’s about to just hang up, forget this and go to sleep, when the other end picks up. 

The voice on the other end seems annoyed that someone would be ringing them this late at night. Rhett sighs, almost hangs up again, but steels himself and asks for the address to the Carlton Hotel. He writes it down and ends the call with shaky fingers. 

Sitting up, he stares at the pad of paper with the address written down. He could easily walk there since it’s not far from where he and Jenna are staying. Or he could throw the paper away, cut the lights, roll over, and go to sleep like a normal person. He switches between the photo and the address, staring at them both in equal amounts, fretting over the decision he needs to make. 

Rhett groans looking over the picture of Link. He looks _good_ in a plain white tee, looks even better paired with the high waisted jeans hugging his ass. His air is slicked back artfully, made darker by the styling gel; the grunge look fits him perfectly. Rhett rubs a hand over his face and groans again, stares at the address some more, then throws his legs off the side of the bed. He gets tangled on his way out of the sheets but eventually makes it across the room to put on his sweats and grab his wallet and room key, address tucked safely in his pocket.

*  
The walk to the Carlton Hotel takes less than twenty minutes. Rhett makes the trek quickly with long strides made easy by his long legs, hands stuffed into his pockets as he goes. There’s no one else around at this time of night which he’s grateful for because he probably looks like a crazy person walking so fast through New York City in the middle of the night. 

When he reaches the front door of the hotel, Rhett freezes. What is he _doing_? He’s crazy, he’s stupid, he shouldn’t be standing here for someone he doesn’t even know. But he’s doing it and he finds himself pushing the door open, striding across the lobby, and following the sign to rooms 1-10. The front desk clerk merely waves him away and watches him go.

Room 7 comes up fast. Rhett stands before it, nervous. Again he’s struck with the urge to run away. He doesn’t know Link, Link doesn’t know him, yet he’s standing here all because Link wrote a few teasing words on a polaroid. Heart racing, he raps his knuckles on the door, hoping maybe that Link is sleeping, won’t answer, and Rhett will have an excuse to leave. 

Before he can entertain that idea any further, the door swings open and reveals Link, dressed in that white tee and still in the same jeans, feet bare and hair a mess. Rhett gulps at the sight. Link grins when he sees Rhett and steps back far enough for him to come in. He hesitates for only a moment, then he’s moving, stepping inside and into Link’s space. 

“Was wonderin’ if you were gonna come find me,” Link laughs and his hands are on Rhett’s shirt, tugging him down into a kiss. Rhett goes willingly and without hesitation, shoving Link against the wall and cradling his cheeks in his hands. 

“Been thinkin’ about that stupid polaroid and what you wrote all night,” Rhett murmurs into Link’s ear. Link moans and his head hits the wall with a thump. Rhett sighs deeply, smoothing his hands over Link’s neck and across his shoulders, not stopping till he’s covering Link’s slender waist. “I’m only here to get to know you,” he says firmly. 

Link smirks at him like he knows something Rhett doesn’t. “_Sure_, if you say so,” he replies and drops a hand to Rhett’s crotch. “Just getting to know each other.” He cups Rhett through his sweats and Rhett groans, hips jerking involuntarily. 

Rhett lets him touch for a few more seconds, sighing at how nice it feels to have Link’s long fingers teasing underneath his balls before trailing along his cock, fingertips light over the material of his pants and underwear. Link is just moving his hand up, coming to rest on his belly at the waistband of his sweats, fingertips inching down, when Rhett lets go of his waist and steps back. Link huffs and rolls his eyes, but drops his hands by his sides and follows Rhett further into the room. 

The small boxy television is on low and the ceiling fan overhead is moving sluggishly, barely cooling the room. Link’s bags are unpacked in haphazard ways around the small space, clothes either folded neatly on one surface or tossed over others; various hair products are scattered on the dresser and a pair of glasses are folded neatly with them. Rhett sighs as he sinks onto the edge of the mattress and pats the spot next to him. Link folds his arms over chest, eyes bright and challenging, and shakes his head. Fine, they can play this game. 

“Come sit with me, Link,” Rhett says and pats the spot again. 

Link instead seats himself in the chair on the other side of the room. He stares Rhett down, regarding him coolly, casually lounging back in the chair as he does so. Rhett averts his eyes from the splay of his legs and focuses on the wall by his shoulder. 

“So,” Rhett starts. He has to clear his throat before he can say anything else. “20 questions?” The question sounds idiotic even to his own ears. How old are they, _five_? But Link is laughing and nodding his head.

“With a twist,” he grins and situates himself in the seat so his legs are open even wider, arms hanging over the sides and fingers loose on the edge. “Every time you don’t answer you gotta take something off.” There’s a gleam in his eye as he smirks at Rhett. 

“Link—“

“Nope, you wanna get to know me, this is how, buddyroll.” Link raises a hand in a lazy gesture between them. 

Rhett considers it for a moment. This could go very wrong or very _right_, and he’s not sure which one sounds more appealing. He looks at Link sitting in the chair, all confidence and cockiness about him, smirking. Rhett feels emboldened by that stare so he sits up straighter and clears his throat, asks, “Do you wear those glasses?” It’s a simple question, easy to start with without getting into dangerous territory right off the bag.

Link laughs and nods his head. “Only occasionally. They make me look old. And I can’t wear them to shoots,” he shrugs and shuffles around in his seat. “What’s your favorite color?” He grins at his easy question.

“Yellow. What was your first modeling job?” Rhett gets more comfortable on the bed, bringing one leg up to tuck under the other one and lean back on his hands. 

Link sighs. “Don’t laugh,” he starts, blushing, “it was for a Walmart ad.” Rhett can’t hold back the giggle imagining Link in a Walmart ad. “I said don’t laugh!” 

“Sorry, can’t help it. I’m tryin’ to imagine _you_,” Rhett gestures to Link, unable to focus on one thing, “in a Walmart ad of all things. You’re so—“ he stops himself and this time he’s the one blushing.

“So what? And yes, that counts as a question,” Link leans forward on his elbows, gaze searing where he stares Rhett down. “I’m so what, Rhett?”

Rhett has to swallow hard. He shakes his head, won’t answer and says as much. “Nothing.” He swallows again and his mouth is suddenly too dry. 

“Off,” Link says simply. His gaze is unwavering watching Rhett, smile gone and mouth set in a tight line, cheeks blush free. 

Rhett sighs and accepts his fate that this is how the night is going to go. He starts with his shoes, one by one until he’s barefoot. “There, happy?” He’s certainly not happy. His heart is beginning to race and his hands are sweating where they rest behind him on the covers. The tenting beginning in his pants would say otherwise, though. “Your turn. Where are you from?” Another easy one.

“You’re no fun,” Link grumps, then sighs. “Raleigh, but I move around so much I don’t have time to settle anywhere.” He tilts his head like he’s thinking, then he’s grinning again. “Do you wanna fuck me?” He isn’t shy or quiet; instead he’s confident in his question and he _knows it_, the little shit.

Rhett doesn’t answer and Link points to his shirt, eyebrow raised and grin still there, sharp teeth sinking into his bottom lip as he watches. Sitting up fully, Rhett grabs the bottom of his shirt and yanks it off, throwing it onto the floor. He automatically curls his arms around his torso and looks away, self-conscious in the face of someone like Link. 

“Do you,” Rhett starts, has to stop and swallow around a lump forming in his throat. He tries again, “Do _you _wanna fuck _me_?” A blush spreads hot and quick across his cheeks, down his neck, and over his chest. Link doesn’t answer. Instead he stands, blue eyes intense, and stalks towards Rhett, stripping his white tee off along the way. He never imagined Link to be a muscular person or even very fit, with how lean his frame is, how slender his waist and broad his shoulders. But as he’s making his way over, Rhett is drawn to the impressive display and shift of muscles in his arms and the smooth stomach peeking out the top of his jeans. “Link, I asked a question.” 

“I know, but I feel left out,” Link says. When he reaches Rhett he drops down on his lap and tugs at Rhett’s hands until they’re free and his arms are by his sides. He feels exposed like this with Link so close, so attractive. “Don’t hide,” he whispers and leans forward to kiss the corner of Rhett’s mouth. “You’re gorgeous, and,” he moves to the other side, dangerously close to kissing him fully, “Yes, I do wanna fuck you.” 

Game forgotten, Rhett drags Link into a heated kiss, hand in his messy hair, other on his bare back to hold him close. Link grinds down with a moan and Rhett can feel how hard he is already. His hands start to roam as they kiss, fingertips teasing over Rhett’s shoulders, dancing across his chest and down his abs, only stopping when he reaches the waistband of his sweats. This time Rhett lets him go further. He leans back on one hand and Link accepts the invitation, flattening his palm on Rhett’s stomach and dipping his fingers below the elastic. He doesn’t go any further, stopping just shy of Rhett’s boxers. 

Link sits back enough to kiss Rhett’s cheek, then the other one. “Should I stop?” he asks, continuing the game. Rhett has to take a second to breathe and calm his racing pulse. He _should_ tell Link to stop, to take his hand away and put his shirt on and go back to his chair. But Rhett clearly doesn’t have the best self-control tonight. 

“We still don’t know each other,” Rhett tries. It’s weak even to his own ears. 

“Answer the question,” Link nips his bottom lip. Rhett lets out a small gasp, hips jerking at the sting and the jolt it sends through him. “I’m gonna stop if you don’t answer me.” Link wiggles the fingers he has tucked into Rhett’s pants.

Rhett will regret this, he knows it, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead he kisses Link and grabs his wrist to pull his hand away. Link slides off his lap and pushes him back, keeps pushing and manhandling until Rhett is vertical along the bed, head on the pillows. He crawls over Rhett and settles on him, thighs cradling hips and hands on either side of Rhett’s head. 

“You wanna play it this way, fine,” Link murmurs and cranes his head down to press a quick kiss to Rhett’s lips. Rhett grins up at him and shifts around to get more comfortable. He’s got enough of Link where he wants him, out of dangerous territory but still on the edge of tempting. “Where are you from?” he asks quickly and kisses his eyebrow. 

Rhett sighs; he can do this, he can answer the simple questions. “Georgia.” Link kisses his other eyebrow. “Best modeling job you ever had?” Rhett reaches for the button of Link’s jeans and slips it out. Link puffs out a shaky breath. 

“Calvin Klein, first major gig,” Link trails his lips over Rhett’s cheekbone and across his nose, keeps going to his other cheek. Grasping the zipper, Rhett slowly slides it down and over the prominent bulge tenting Link’s boxer briefs. He wastes no time getting his hands beneath the denim and around to Link’s ass, squeezing the handfuls he finds. “Fuck. Come on, ask me a question.”

Link sits back on his knees, Rhett’s hands still cradling his cheeks, touch firm. Grinning, Rhett kneads his thumbs into the taut muscles. He rakes his eyes over Link’s body above him; takes in the way he’s flushed a pretty pink from his neck to his navel, the way his abs flex with every involuntary small roll of his pelvis against Rhett’s groin, the obscene way those high waisted jeans are splayed open and loose around his hips to reveal more skin. _God_, Rhett wants to take this as far as possible and get his hands on every inch of skin, but he’s still apprehensive.

Rhett can’t think of anything to ask, his mind is too fogged up with _Link_ to function the way it’s supposed to. Link rolls his hips down and plants his hands on Rhett’s chest, eyes closing on a moan. They could just do this, _this_ would be fine, Rhett would gladly lay here and hold Link by the ass and watch him grind, listen to him moan his way through it and-

A knock on the door has Link’s eyes flying open and his hips stilling. Rhett jerks his hands out of his pants and Link huffs in complaint, rolling off of Rhett to run to the door. Heart hammering in his chest, Rhett nearly jumps off the bed and yanks his shirt back on, panic coiling hot in his throat. 

The door opens and Rhett can hear a high pitched giggle, followed by Link talking. When he peeks around the corner he sees a model from the shoot earlier standing there, clearly drunk and a beer in hand, shirt unbuttoned too low to reveal cleavage. It’s obvious she doesn’t have a bra on and the way she’s staring at Link, pushing her chest out some, she wants him to look. She’s blonde, _pretty_, and making eyes at Link. 

Rhett steps a little too far around the corner and the girl sees him. She stops talking, giggles some more as she looks between the two of them. He’s sure it’s obvious to her what they were doing if the way she’s taking in Link’s state of undress and Rhett’s ruffled appearance is anything to go by. 

_Shit._

The door closes after a moment too long and Link appears next to him. He grins, shaking his head, and tries to rise up on his toes and kiss Rhett. But Rhett has lost the momentum to keep going, the panic is going to choke him. He’s sure they’ve been caught and this girl is going to giggle to all her friends about what she saw, spread some nasty rumor that she saw two _guys_ fucking and how fucked up it is. They’ll both lose their jobs, Link will be shunned in the modeling world and Rhett won’t ever pick up his camera again. 

It’s a little too overwhelming, too visceral and real, so Rhett goes to find his shoes and any other belongings discarded in the heat of the moment. Link is frowning at him and his brows are knitted together as he watches Rhett panic. He waits a moment to give the girl time to wander down the hall, just in case she’s still lingering and waiting on Link, before quickly walking out the door, _not running_.

“Rhett, where are you going?” Link asks desperately from the doorway. “She’s not going to--”

Rhett rounds the end of the hall and speeds out of the hotel, Link abandoned behind him.


	5. Teen Vogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, thanks so much for the love on this silly fic!

Rhett paces his hotel room for the rest of the night and into the morning. He doesn’t stop until the sun is rising and warming up the room. The air conditioner kicks on when it gets too warm, the hum a welcome noise in the otherwise silent room, enough of a distraction for Rhett to finally realize he needs to sit. He drops heavily to the bed and sighs, head falling to his hands.

He sits that way for what feels like hours but is only a few minutes. He listens to the air conditioner blowing away in the background instead of the blood rushing through his ears because of his racing pulse. He fucked up, he knows it, but that girl seeing the both of them disheveled and undressed _in a hotel room_ freaked him out. Rhett knows he probably hurt Link’s feelings, but in his panic he didn’t know what else to do other than run away.

Rhett is jerked out of his freak out by the phone ringing. He snatches it off the hook quickly and answers with a rough, “Hello?” He winces at how used his voice sounds, then clears it and tries again. 

“Rhett McLaughlin?” The voice on the other end belongs to a man with a smooth British accent. 

Confused, Rhett answers. “Yes? Speaking.” 

“This is Nigel Barker,” the voice says. Rhett nearly chokes on his own spit. “I got a call from the Seventeen Magazine director yesterday telling me all about this young, hot new photographer on the scene.” 

“_What_?” Rhett sputters. He sits up straighter, ears focused on the phone, hanging on this guy’s every word.

Nigel chuckles. “Look, my assistant quit on me two days ago, I’m looking for someone new to test out. Stay in New York for a few days, you can come along on a few shoots with me.” 

Rhett thinks he’s forgotten how to breathe. _The_ Nigel Barker wants him, one Rhett McLaughlin to come on a few shoots? He must be severely sleep deprived, that has to be it.

“Mr. McLaughlin?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Rhett apologizes and then has to take in a shaky breath. “I’d love to!”

“Great! I’ll send a car to you on Monday morning at eight sharp.” Nigel continues on, giving Rhett details of what he will be doing, where, and who with. Rhett can’t believe his ears the more he talks about his impending assistant duties. 

By the time Nigel is done Rhett is reeling. He hangs up with another heartfelt thanks, the previous night’s events momentarily forgotten. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity working with someone this major in the business. Something like this doesn’t usually come along this fast in anyone’s career, and Rhett can’t believe _he’s_ receiving this opportunity so fast. 

Link forgotten for now, Rhett calls up Jenna to tell her the good news.

*  
Monday dawns bright and early, and before Rhett knows it the car is pulling up to the curb for he and Jenna. Jenna has been bouncing on her toes for the last half hour in excitement, incessant chattering nearly driving Rhett crazy. If it weren’t for the fact that he’s excited, too then he would’ve told her to chill already. But he can’t blame her. He barely slept last night and now as they load up their things and slide into the backseat, he’s buzzing with nervous energy.

The driver is a nice man with sunglasses and a backwards baseball cap. Rhett greets him while Jenna continues to talk. Once the doors are closed the driver pulls away from the curb and sets off. 

“Can you believe this?” Jenna asks loudly. The driver laughs and Rhett pats her hand softly. “Teen Vogue, Rhett, _Teen fucking Vogue_! And Nigel Barker’s assistant? What I wouldn’t give to tap that, ya know.”

Rhett gasps in surprise, pinching her side. She jerks away with a glare and continues on. He listens because he’s her best friend, but also because it keeps his mind off of other things. In all the excitement and rush of getting ready this morning Rhett hasn’t had much time to think about Link. He’s been on the backburner, a niggling little thought at the back of his mind, and for that he’s grateful. He doesn’t think he could do this job and still think about Link at the same time.

Rhett is jerked out of his thoughts when the car comes to a stop outside of a large studio. He and Jenna thank the man then quickly get out to get started. 

“This place is huge,” Jenna whispers as they haul their things up the stairs. The door is already propped open, a few people coming in and out, loud noise drifting out the door. It’s chaos as soon as they step inside the studio. People are talking loudly, many of them with clipboards and headsets on, others ushering models to and from dressing rooms. A crew is setting props up, another adjusting lights, and a third doing a few test shots of the set. 

“Wow,” Rhett breathes. Jenna agrees next to him.

“Mr. McLaughlin?”

Rhett smiles as a tall redhead approaches him, clipboard in hand and headset on. She shakes his hand and greets Jenna, then gestures for them to follow her across the studio. Rhett can’t help but drink in the sights as they pass, each one more impressive than the last. The place really is huge and it takes them a couple of minutes to make the trek from the door to the other end of the studio, finally reaching it. 

“Here’s your set up, Mr. McLaughlin. Mr. Barker will be here soon to run you through the procedure, but for now you can get set up,” the woman says, smiling brightly at him. He smiles back and waves when she turns to go. 

In no time Rhett has everything he needs set up and ready to go. The camera is angled just right and the lighting set tentatively; now he can sit and relax for a second before he has to get to work. He sighs when he sinks into his chair, Jenna beside him chatting with someone about this or that. He barely hears her. He’s too focused on taking in his surroundings to listen to what she’s talking about. 

As he’s waiting Rhett lets his mind wander. He thinks about what this job will entail, how much good it will do him to get his foot in the door, maybe get something even bigger and get his name out there. He thinks about where he started, how only six weeks ago he was fresh on the scene, a baby compared to the others he has been around. But mostly he lets his mind wander back to Link. He can’t help it. Link has been on his mind more than once these last few weeks despite his best efforts not to think about him. 

Without warning an elbow is digging into Rhett’s side. He jerks away, brows knitting. Jenna is leaning over to him and she’s still digging her elbow into his side, getting harder the more excited she gets. “Look!” She points across the room to someone walking towards them. It’s Link. _Link_ of all people. How do they keep running into each other like this?

Rhett’s breath hitches in his throat. He flies out of his chair, ready to turn tail and run, but Jenna grabs his elbow. “Jenna, I have to--”

“No, you don’t, Rhett.” She’s staring at him, expression neutral. Rhett swallows hard and sits back down in his seat. His pulse begins to race just thinking about what Jenna could possibly know. “I’ve been tryin’ to give you an out everytime we see him,” she starts, voice low and hand still on his elbow, “but you still act like an idiot every time. Don’t screw it up this time. He’s hot.” 

Rhett’s mouth goes dry. She’s smiling softly at him now, hand releasing his elbow. He’s about to say something, anything to defend himself if he has to, when she gets up from her chair and leaves, waving to Link on her way by. Link beams at her, but as soon as he shifts his gaze to Rhett his smile drops. 

Link comes to stand in front of him, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He’s all done up for the shoot in a blue and black dip dye tee, black jeans, and a flannel shirt tied around his waist. As usual his hair is styled perfectly. He looks good standing there. 

Rhett is immediately taken back to the other night. Back to lips touching and hands exploring, clothes coming off, hearts racing. He has to take a deep breath to steel himself and on the exhale says, “Hi.” Link rolls his eyes and scuffs a white Adidas on the floor. 

“You’re an asshole, I hope you know that,” Link says. Stepping closer, he removes his hands from his pockets and crosses his arms over his chest. Rhett scoots back in his chair. “But I understand why you freaked.” He looks shy all of a sudden as he stands there staring at Rhett. 

Rhett shifts around uncomfortably. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles, blush pinking his cheeks. He rubs the back of his neck and Link laughs, reaching a hand out. 

“Friends?” 

Beaming, Rhett grabs his hand, ignores the electric shock that makes his nerves light up, and nods his head. “Friends.” 

*  
The shoot lasts most of the day. It’s a big one, requiring multiple locations and props, models being shuffled to and from one area to the next. Rhett loves every second of the hustle. Working with Nigel is a dream. All day long he’s been at the other man’s side, getting advice and taking the reins more than once. 

And on the other side of the studio Link has been watching him. Rhett has felt his gaze at every turn, constantly staring whenever he gets the chance, setting Rhett’s nerves on fire. He won’t let himself linger too long, though, afraid that if he does then he will give himself away to everyone around him. The one time he does look for more than a second Link gives him this little half-smile and it nearly sets him aflame.

By the end of the day Rhett is exhausted down to his bones. Every muscle aches as he and Jenna work to get everything packed up. He’s ready to go, to sleep the night away until tomorrow’s promised day with Nigel. But he can’t until everything is done which could take a long time on a job this big. Jenna is quiet beside him, soft smile on her face whenever she looks at Rhett; they’ll have to talk later, but for once Rhett isn’t afraid of what someone might think. 

When he’s almost finished someone clears their throat. Rhett eases to his full height, back beginning to ache some, and turns to find Link standing there, smiling softly with a Polaroid in his hand. “Candids?” he says and holds the camera out to Rhett. 

“Okay,” Rhett agrees. He easily falls into the role of photographer and moves around the studio to take the pictures of the models. But Link is nowhere to be found amongst them. Instead there’s a door closing at the back of the studio, that black and blue dip dye tee and black jeans disappearing outside. 

Intrigued, Rhett follows quickly and is out the door in no time. The sun is beginning to set, painting the back alley he finds himself in a warm glow. There are a set of steps leading up to the street and there’s Link, seated casually about halfway up, elbows resting on his knees and hands folded. Rhett’s breath catches when he sees him, sees the way the sun halos his messy hair and lights up his smile.

“Was wonderin’ if you would find me,” Link says, laughing softly and running a hand through his hair, pushing back the wisps falling in his face. Rhett immediately raises the camera and catches him mid-sweep, smile wide and sun glowing. The photo prints and he carefully guides it out, holding it between his fingers so he can take another. 

Link drops his hand back to his knee, and this time he doesn’t smile. He stares straight at Rhett, blue eyes boring holes in him through the lens, bottom lip stuck between his teeth, toe of one shoe tapping softly on the cement step, almost like he’s considering Rhett. Rhett snaps another candid shot, has to take a breath before he lowers the camera, and takes this one out. The first one has developed and is sweet, capturing Link’s smile perfectly as he fixes his hair. 

But the second one is his favorite. The sun highlights his features, brightens those blue eyes, makes his tan skin glow where it the sun hits it. His gaze is intense and there’s a flash of sharp teeth sinking into the flesh of his bottom lip. It all makes Rhett dizzy with want, so badly that he ends up racing across up the steps, camera being set down carefully, and Link meets him halfway. 

The kiss is short but enough. Rhett grabs Link’s cheeks and presses their lips together, heated and quick, and Link rocks forward, hands coming to rest on Rhett’s shoulders. He wrenches back before the fear of someone catching them can settle in, and Link laughs, forehead pressing tightly to Rhett’s. 

“Please come back with me,” Link whispers, eyes closed and voice desperate. 

“Not tonight.” Rhett smiles and leans back, kisses his forehead, and skips down the steps, photos in hand.

Later when he’s settling in for a good night’s sleep he props the candids up on the base of the bedside lamp, a little heart drawn in the corner of one and the date on both. He falls asleep and doesn’t wake for the rest of the night.


	6. Calvin Klein

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> look don't @ me i know nothing about photoshoots, especially calvin klein photoshoots.

When the car arrives on Tuesday Rhett is ready and excited. He and Jenna ride to the location across town eagerly, Jenna chattering on as usual, Rhett listening and laughing, mind reeling with yesterday’s events. It was a long ride but eventually they arrived at a studio even larger than the Teen Vogue shoot.

Now as Rhett waits patiently behind his camera, he has to shake the nerves out. Nigel trusting him with such an important shoot has him on edge. What if he fucks it up? What if he loses this assistants job after only two days because he isn’t as good as Nigel thought? It’s all a bit overwhelming and terrifying to think about. He knows someone as young and amateur as him getting this job was a lucky break, and he also knows it can go down in flames faster than a house on fire. 

So he’s nervous and a little jittery on this second day. But Jenna is by his side, smiling and patting him on the shoulder. She hands him a bottle of water and tells him to calm the fuck down before he embarasses her, and it gets him laughing, nerves settling a bit. This shoot is _huge_, bigger than Teen Vogue. When Nigel filled him in on the client, _Calvin Klein_, Rhett nearly fainted and had to sit down for a second. 

“You ready?” Jenna asks quietly, hand on his arm to get his attention.

Rhett nods, beaming at her. “Yeah, still nervous though. This is _huge_, Jenna.” Palms suddenly sweatier than normal, he rubs them on his jeans to dry them. “What if we screw up?”

Jenna rolls her eyes. “We won’t, Rhett. Just don’t freak out okay?” She pats his arm again and then she’s pointing over his shoulder. He frowns and spins around to see what she’s pointing at. The sight nearly causes him to knock over his camera when he flails his arms wildly in surprise.

_Link_. Again.

Except this time Rhett doesn’t freak out. He rights his camera with shaky hands and wipes the sweat off his palms on his jeans again, then straightens up. He smiles, soft and a little embarrassed hoping Link didn’t see him fumbling, as Link comes over dressed in a fluffy white robe. Jenna nudges him in the side, digging into the softest and most ticklish spot. 

“Go get him,” she whispers to him then disappears under the guise that she needs some help with something. Rhett panics for just a second at the idea of being left alone with Link with all these people around, but then the panic settles when Link stops in front of him, eyes shining bright and corner of his mouth turned up.

“Hey, Rhett,” Link says quietly. 

Rhett feels like a teenager all over again, trying to talk to the cute boy he sees everyday in the hallway. It’s overwhelming and there’s still that coil of fear and panic nagging at the back of his mind, but he’s coming around to it. Link is _Link_. He’s cute and his smile is bright and his hair is soft and he’s got a nice ass. Rhett likes Link and Link likes him. 

“Hey, Link.” Rhett smiles at him. “Didn’t know you were gonna be here.” It’s true. He had no idea Link was the model, but it makes sense. His first major gig was Calvin Klein, it was the one that pushed him into the spotlight after all. He should be the one in front of the camera this time as well. 

Link has his mouth open about to respond when Nigel calls for places with a clap of his hands. He shrugs and smiles at Rhett, gives him a small wave, then backs away, hands going to the tie on his robe. Rhett watches carefully, wondering what’s hiding under the fluffy white garment, anticipation building for what he doesn’t know yet. He’s seen plenty of Calvin Klein ads, models in various states of dress or undress; anything could be hiding under there.

The moment the robe comes off Rhett is speechless. It hits the floor and Link is left standing there in nothing but the new underwear being advertised. They sit just right at his waist and hug his ass perfectly, accentuating the curves and stopping about mid-thigh. Rhett’s mouth goes dry and he fumbles with the lens cap so badly he almost knocks the camera over again. It doesn’t get any better when Link raises his arms to a make-up girl holding open a white button down. 

Rhett remembers what those muscles felt like under his hands all those nights ago. But seeing them shifting and bunching as he works his arms into the shirt does things to his insides. The shirt settles onto his shoulders and hangs loose, and when he turns towards the girl she adjusts the front so it’s laid perfectly on his torso. Rhett can’t breathe at this point. He saw that flat stomach and that tanned skin up close and personal, knows exactly what it looks like when he’s moving and his muscles are flexing. 

_Shit_.

“Sweat!” the make-up girl yells. Another girl runs over with a spray bottle in her hand and hands it to the first. She sprays Link’s entire torso and neck with water, enough that it drips down in beads and soaks into the waistband of the underwear. Rhett watches as Link is manhandled backwards towards the solid white wall behind him by a hand on his elbow. 

The first pose makes Rhett want to die. Link is positioned against the wall, shoulders holding him up and one foot propped up, hips pushed out, shirt loose. The underwear is fitted and leaves nothing to the imagination when he shuffles around some to get more comfortable. Rhett has avoided looking at the underwear the entire time, but now he can’t help it. Link shuffles some more, adjusts the garment so he can hook his thumbs under the waistband, tugging them down just enough to tease and show off the V of his pelvis.

As soon as the lights hit him, the water glistens on Link’s smooth skin. He flexes and closes his eyes and bites his lip, product free hair falling in wisps over his forehead, ready for the first few shots. Nigel nods off to the side and steps back, and the make-up girls clear out with their things. 

A hand lands on Rhett’s shoulder and he flinches, hard. Jenna is snickering where she stands beside him, nearly doubled over with her quiet laughter. Rhett scowls at her and lines the shot up, trying hard not to notice the way Link has opened his eyes and is staring intently through the lens.

The second pose is even worse than the first. It takes all of Rhett’s willpower to keep his arousal under control and not embarrass himself in front of Jenna and fifty other people standing around. This shot includes Link being guided to his knees on a mat for comfort. His chest is dried off thoroughly and a dry shirt is brought in for him to slip on. The damp one is taken away and Link quickly changes into the new one. Rhett knows exactly where this is going; he’s not blind, he has seen the Calvin Klein ads over the years for underwear, men and women alike. The pose is always sexy, always controversial in some formats, and Link is about to be positioned the exact same way. 

When Link shifts around on the mat and spreads his legs a little wider Rhett has to take a deep breath. He’s just following directions, Rhett knows that, but it still drives him wild watching. The underwear bunches up and Rhett is immediately drawn to the way the bunching outlines his cock for just a moment. He shudders and turns his head away until the pose is ready. 

Everyone steps away and Jenna taps Rhett on the shoulder, indicating the shot is set and ready. He swallows, closes his eyes to take a quick breath. But he isn’t ready for the sight of Link cupping himself through the underwear, hand lightly squeezing, face set in an unreadable expression as he stares Rhett down. Rhett shakes his head and eyes him through the viewfinder. _Click_. Link moves around some to get more comfortable. Another shot.

“Alright, Link, let’s give ‘em a laugh,” Nigel directs from the side. 

Link does as he’s told and throws his head back in a laugh, smile bright and wide, teeth too white in the studio lights, tanned throat enticing. Rhett struggles to keep up with shot after shot, until finally Nigel yells cut and it’s time for another pose. 

“You doin’ okay?” Jenna asks quietly at his side. Rhett twists his head from side to side to get the tension out then nods at her, feigning a smile. “You seem pretty tense. Link got ya worked up?” He nearly chokes on his own spit. 

“Jenna!” Rhett gasps and snatches up his bottle of water to take a drink.

“What? Not gonna lie, Rhett, I’m pretty turned on, too,” she smirks and waggles her eyebrows. “But at the end of the day I’m not the one that might be going home with him.”

Rhett doesn’t have time to say anything to her before a crew member walks by, interrupting them. He waves to the guy and doesn’t try to speak again until the guy is out of sight. But as he’s turning his head to make sure he’s well and truly out of ear shot, Rhett catches sight of the blonde from the hotel walking out. His chest constricts as she waltzes towards Link in her white tank and matching Calvin Klein panties.

Conversation with Jenna forgotten, Rhett has to watch the next pose be put together. Link is standing now while one of the make-up girls fiddles with the underwear and the shirt. Blondie comes to stand behind him, left arm resting around his shoulders, right around his waist. Innocent enough, Rhett thinks, but then her hand is being guided down and down some more until her fingertips are dipped below the waistband of the boxer briefs, just shy of being too obscene for print. 

Link wiggles his hips some, a blush spreading across his face and neck and even further, coloring his chest a pretty pink. Rhett watches, transfixed. He didn’t blush that much when Rhett had _his_ hands on Link’s body. Link must realize Rhett is staring because in one moment he’s looking at the girl’s hand and the next he’s gazing up at Rhett, eyes bright with arousal. Rhett sucks in a breath at the intensity of Link’s stare.

Finally the pair is posed how Nigel wants them. He nods at Rhett and everyone clears out. The shot is clear and perfect, lighting hitting Link’s skin just right, shirt perfectly loose around his torso, blondie a nice contrast to his lean frame where she’s draped over him. It’s all Rhett can do not to get jealous that she’s getting to touch Link like this.

By the time the shoot is over Rhett is seething with jealousy and arousal. He’s half-hard in his pants and has to subtly adjust himself when no one's looking before he can even begin to think about the end of the day procedures. Jenna is working silently while he slowly suffers from how much he wants Link in this moment, right now. 

“McLaughlin, candids time!” Rhett turns just in time to get the Polaroid that’s being handed to him. Now is _not_ the time for candids, he can barely think about what he’s supposed to be doing, much less catching Link and blondie doing god knows what with each other. 

Sighing, he takes the device and goes to find the couple. They couldn’t have gone far, and in no time Rhett finds them talking to each other off to the side while make-up works at removing Link’s shirt and handing him his robe. Rhett gets a couple of shots of this, making sure to get one or two of the girl while he’s at it. No use making anyone suspicious. 

Link starts laughing loudly at something someone has said. Rhett can’t resist. He snaps another photo. Then he’s grabbing the waistband of the underwear and jerking it around like the garment is uncomfortable, and the way he’s doing it makes Rhett’s lung seize as the material bunches around his cock and balls briefly. The bulge is impressive and Rhett can tell he’s turned on right now. He quickly catches the moment on film for safe keeping. 

Link catches him snapping photos, grins when he sees the amount of polaroids in Rhett’s hand. He winks at Rhett and turns to leave, waving to the girl and the make-up crew once they’re done, and as he’s walking away he glances at Rhett one more time. 

It’s enough. The heated gaze sets a fire in his belly and before he knows what he’s doing he has set down the camera and shoved the polaroids in his back pocket so he can follow Link. He leads Rhett to a room across the studio, a simple white door with no indication of what’s behind it. 

The room is empty save for Link when Rhett enters the room. Robe untied and hair wild, Link shoves him against the closed door and reaches around to lock it, rising up on his toes at the same time to press a hot kiss to Rhett’s mouth. Rhett meets him eagerly, hands cradling his cheeks and pulling him closer. 

Link groans into the kiss. His hands ruck up Rhett’s shirt so he can get them underneath and _touch_. Sighing, he rocks back onto his feet, murmurs, “Hi.” He doesn’t give Rhett time to say anything back before they’re kissing again, insistent and hot. This is a far cry from the sweet kiss they shared on the steps yesterday evening; this one is filled with tension and lust, spurring both of them on. 

After a minute, Link steps back and Rhett whines. “Come back,” he says, hands reaching. Link only takes a couple of steps away, far enough to control himself but close enough that Rhett can rest his hands on a naked waist. “Link,” he huffs. 

“Someone might find us,” Link says, more for Rhett’s benefit than his own. 

“I don’t care, not right now,” Rhett whispers and yanks him back, dragging him into another kiss, this one deeper than the last. Link presses closer and Rhett can feel how turned on he is at his hip. “Blondie get you hot?” Rhett asks, teasing. 

“Yeah, she did,” Link admits, laughing. “Her hand was almost on my dick, of course I was turned on. But I was more focused on you.” 

Rhett moans loudly and gets his hands on Link’s naked torso, smoothing his palms around to his back. The robe is soft over his arms but Link is softer under his hands. He’s tempted to slip his hands lower, drag the underwear down and off, see how far they can go in a public setting. The temptation is almost too great to pass up, but Link was right, someone could find them and then they would really be in trouble. So instead he keeps his hands where they are and Link ruts against his hip while they kiss.

After several minutes, they have to break apart, take a breath, calm down before it goes too far. Rhett’s chest is heaving and his fingers twitch with the effort of not touching where he wants. Link drops his head to his chest to breathe, hot through Rhett’s shirt, hands grasping and releasing around his waist. 

“Will you come back with me this time?” Link asks quietly. 

Rhett squeezes his back and rolls his hips slow and teasing, making Link moan low.

“Yeah, _yeah_, I’ll come back with you this time.”


	7. The Bike Shot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY getting this updated y'all!!! Sorry it took so damn long, work has been crazy af. 
> 
> But thanks so much for the love for this fic. It's almost over, only has one chapter left!!!

The cab ride to the Carlton saps all of Rhett’s willpower. Link is beside him, dressed down in his street clothes, that damn pair of Calvins peeking out over the tops of his jeans, and white tee too tight across his shoulders. His knee is jiggling against Rhett’s with nervous, pent up energy, and Rhett is right there with him. He can barely keeps his hands still on his thighs, clenching them tight to keep from touching Link. But oh does he want to touch. He wants to reach out and drag Link close, kiss him for all he’s worth, get him stripped bare and moaning, right here in the backseat of the cab. 

When the driver pulls out front and Link pays, Rhett nearly bolts out of the cab, narrowly avoiding the busy street beside them. He beats Link to the door and holds it open for him, the key to the room already out of his messenger bag and in his hand. Rhett grins at his thinking ahead. Link is hurrying across the lobby and around the corner before Rhett can catch up.

Link is opening the door when Rhett catches up, has it propped on his foot so Rhett can enter first, and then they’re crashing through and into the room, Rhett’s hands tearing at Link’s white shirt and Link popping the button on his jeans. The clothes come off one piece at a time, fast and flying through the air as they move in tandem through the room to the bed. 

Heart racing, Rhett cups Link’s cheeks in his hands and kisses him, pressing him into the mattress until neither one of them can breathe. He jerks back, sucking in breath after breath and Link heaving underneath him. Everywhere they touch is electric: his hands on Link’s cheeks, Link’s fingers tangling in his hair, chests pressed tightly together, entire bodies aligned. 

Link pushes up, closer, and his cock slides against Rhett’s, dragging a moan out of both of them. Rhett kisses him again and then legs wrap around his waist and they’re moving, Link rolling until he’s on top of Rhett, grinning like a fool. “Hey, there,” he says and situates himself on Rhett’s waist more comfortably. 

Rhett sighs when Link sits back, cock lining up perfectly in the cleft of his ass. Hips jerking, Rhett moans low, eyes fluttering closed at the sensation. He grabs Link around the waist, marvels at how big his hands are on him, fascinated that his fingertips almost touch where he’s holding Link. He stares and Link laughs. 

“Are you gonna fuck me or what, Rhett?” Link asks, leaning forward so his hands are braced on Rhett’s chest, fingers digging in almost painfully. He purposely pushes his hips back, teasing along Rhett’s cock, then cranes his head down to kiss him, tongue meeting Rhett’s in a hot and filthy kiss. “There’s lube and a condom in the nightstand, get ‘em out,” Link whispers against his mouth. 

Rhett doesn’t have to be told twice. He digs around in the nightstand, quickly searching for the items needed. When he finally finds them he drops the items on the bed and Link dives back in for another kiss, hands sliding around his neck and into his hair. Rhett wraps his arms around Link’s back and nudges at him until they can roll again, this time Link on the bottom again and Rhett back on top. 

Settling between Link’s knees, Rhett takes a moment to breathe. He rakes his eyes over Link’s form, takes him in slowly; his taut and lean thighs, his hard cock resting flush on his belly, his heaving chest and flexing abs, all the way up his throat and his face where blue eyes are burning. The sight makes Rhett shudder and scoot back further so he can fall to his elbows around Link’s hips, breath hot on his dick. 

Link raises his hips and whines, “Come on, Rhett.” 

Rhett wastes no time getting his mouth on Link. He licks hot and wet from the base of Link’s cock all the way to the tip. Link moans loudly and bucks his hips up, causing Rhett to pin him across the waist, arm heavy enough that he can’t move much. He mouths his way back down Link’s cock, taking his time, getting him spit slick and moaning, Link trying his best to jerk his hips closer. 

“Relax, baby, we’ll get there,” Rhett murmurs against the base before making his way back up and sucking the head into his mouth. Link curses softly and his hands land in Rhett’s hair and grip tight. Rhett hums as he slowly takes Link’s cock further into his mouth, tongue flat on the underside as he goes, not stopping until he can’t take anymore in. What’s left he wraps his free hand around. 

Rhett twists his hand and pumps it in time with the bob of his head. Link can’t stop moving, can’t stop trying to get out from under his hold, breath coming in the form of gasps and moans. He has to shift his own hips against the bed, get some friction on his aching cock, but it isn’t enough, he wants more and now. The bottle of lube lands next to his head. He hollows his cheeks on the way off, licks up the pre-cum beading at the slit, before popping off with an obscene sound and a grin. 

Snatching the lube off the bed, Rhett opens it and squirts some in his palm, Link watching him with hooded eyes and his bottom lip stuck between his teeth. The expression on his face makes Rhett shudder as he swirls a finger through the lube. Link shifts his hips in anticipation, hand wrapping around his cock and stroking slowly. A grin stretches across his face when Rhett nudges at a leg; he gets the hint and rests both over Rhett’s shoulders, Rhett moaning at the sight of Link spreading out before him.

“_God_, you’re hot,” he groans and wastes no more time reaching down and pressing his lubed finger into Link, Link clenching the bedsheets. 

Rhett eases his finger in, adds a second after a moment. He takes his time working Link open, Link falling apart under him, thighs clenching, head thrown back on the bed. His throat is a delicious temptation that Rhett can’t wait to get his mouth on. But he keeps going, pressing in and pulling out then doing it all over again until Link is loose and relaxed, whole body shuddering.

“Hand me the--” Rhett doesn’t finish before Link is grabbing the condom and nearly throwing it at him. He laughs as he catches it and rips it open with his teeth, Link staring and wiggling his hips. Quickly he rolls the condom on and tosses the packet to the bed. “You ready?” he asks softly, watching Link’s face. 

Link nods furiously and bares his pelvis down to urge Rhett on. Rhett grasps himself and lines up, rolling slowly pushing in. He stops for a moment to give Link time to adjust, and when Link nods he keeps going, thrusting shallowly, Link huffing through it. When he bottoms out Link groans and tightens his legs over Rhett’s shoulders. 

Rhett stills, huffing out a, “Good?” 

“_Fuck_, Rhett, yes, move,” Link babbles. 

So Rhett does. He holds Link around the thighs and practically bends him in half, opening him up and sliding in deeper, Link threading his fingers through his own hair and eyes rolling back at the sensation. Rhett pulls out most of the way then thrusts back in, hitching Link across the bed some. He does it again and rolls his hips and presses in till he’s flush against Link. It’s hot and it’s intense and before long he can feel his release building. 

Rhett keeps going until they’re both breathless. Link is moaning loudly and tugging at his own hair, cock leaking onto his stomach and thighs quaking where they rest on Rhett’s shoulders. Rhett’s moans and grips Link’s legs tighter. He’s almost there, _so close_, and Link keening and whining underneath him edges him closer. 

Link wraps a hand around his cock, begins stroking himself in time to Rhett’s thrust. The sight is enough to have Rhett moaning louder and thrusting faster, rhythm starting to become erratic the closer he gets. After a few more hard thrusts and Link arching his back beautifully, Rhett stills and cums hot and fast, moan being ripped from his chest as he does. 

Legs falling, Link whines and fucks into his fist. Rhett struggles to breathe as he falls to one hand and gets his other wrapped around Link’s, working with him in his sloppy strokes to get him off. Finally, _finally_, Link thrusts into their combined hands and stills, hips raised and head thrown back, shouting Rhett’s name as he cums on his own chest in thick white streaks. When he’s finished he slumps to the bed, Rhett falling half on top of him, both breathing heavily. Rhett can’t help but grin as he lies there with Link under him, both of them sweaty, both of them sated and boneless. He rolls onto his side and props up on elbow. Link meets him halfway with a hand in his hair, tugging Rhett down into kiss that’s sweet and filthy all at once, making something stir in his gut. 

“Don’t leave,” Link murmurs against his mouth and pulls Rhett down all the way, back on top of him, kissing him again and again. 

Rhett grins into a kiss, “Never.”

*  
Rhett’s next shoot takes place two days later. Everyone deserved a break after working so hard at the beginning of the week. He thoroughly enjoyed his time off with Link under him and on top of him and surrounding him, neither of them coming up for air for hours at a time. Those two days were all consuming and hot and Rhett wouldn’t have it any other way as he starts his next shoot with a grin on his face.

“Somebody had a good couple of days,” Jenna whispers next to him. She’s squinting against the sunlight beating down on them and smiling. Her eyebrows waggle as she watches his smile grow. “Link that good in bed?”

Gasping, Rhett smacks her on the arm, but the grin won’t leave his face. “Shut up, Jenna.” She cackles and leans up to press a kiss on his cheek. 

“You know I love you no matter what, right?” 

Rhett blushes and blames it on the heat of the sun. “Yeah, love you, too ya big nerd.” She laughs again and gives him another kiss. 

Nigel claps and everyone rushes around to finish setting up. Today’s shoot is a simple one, advertising a line of new clothing for a local magazine, all out in the open air and natural light. The models are all wearing their own set of the new clothes. It’s an odd line and there’s a lot of bowling shirts and jeans being shown off, but it’s another job under his belt so he doesn’t mind.

Rhett grins and blushes when Link comes waltzing out of the make up tent. He’s dressed in a gray and black bowling shirt splayed open over a simple black tee, his jeans are tight and rolled at the ankles, and his hair is styled perfectly as usual. He winks at Rhett on his way by, coming to a stop at the bike that’s been set up for him to pose on. 

Rhett has trouble concentrating the entire time he’s shooting Link. He can’t stop thinking about the last few days, can’t stop grinning and blushing like a school boy working through his first crush. The feeling threatens to overwhelm him and he fumbles his way through the first half hour, much to Nigel’s frustration. 

Nigel ends up calling for a break to reset everything. It will take at least another half hour to reset so Rhett moves from behind the camera towards Link. On the way someone passes him a Polaroid, “Take some shots while we wait, pass the time,” they say, and Rhett nods, eyes not leaving Link’s face.

Link waves from his perch on the bike; it’s facing away from the camera to show off the back of the bowling shirt. He’s moving to get off, halfway raised on the bike, one leg bracing on the ground, hands loose on the handles, and it makes for the perfect shot. Quickly Rhett raises the camera and just as he’s about to shoot Link looks at him over his shoulder, eyes burning and lip stuck between his teeth.

When the candid photo develops Rhett has to suck in a breath. Link’s form is perfect, his eyes boring holes through the film, skin flushed from the heat of the sun. Those tight jeans show off the curve of his thighs and the shirt stretches just right over his shoulders. Rhett remembers vividly what those thighs felt like over his shoulders, around his waist, under his hands. Remembers exactly how his muscles shifted and bunched under his own hands everytime Link had his head between Rhett’s legs or Rhett’s fingers digging into his back as they fucked. 

This just might be his favorite. Link looks perfect in the natural lighting.

Rhett pockets the candid, can’t wait to add it to the collection. Link climbs off the bike and struts over to him, smiling softly and sweeping his hair off his forehead. Rhett has to smile back, consequences of being seen in public be damned, and lean down for a quick kiss. Link jerks in surprise and Rhett nearly panics but it settles quick when Link sinks into it for a brief moment. 

Nobody notices, the world doesn’t stop turning. Link smiles at him and Rhett feels his chest constrict in the best way as he smiles back. It’s fine, everything is _fine_.


	8. Candids

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the love this fic has received y'all. those damn polaroids are what started this silly fic and I'm sad it's over, but i'm glad y'all loved it!!

In the summer of ‘99, Rhett takes a job in Los Angeles. It’s a steady, full-time, entry level paying job for a big time advertising company. He has to pack up and move, leave behind his small apartment in North Carolina, but he wouldn’t have it any other way now.

The packing process doesn’t take long. Even though he’s had plenty of gigs over the years, some high paying, some not, he still keeps things modest. He would rather save up for more equipment, and now that this move is happening he has even more reason to be grateful for his modest way of living. He packs meticulously, cleaning as he goes, and it isn’t until he gets to his desk hours later that he stops for a moment.

Rhett’s desk is cluttered from hours of moving things around, but the covered cork board hanging on the wall remains untouched. Smiling fondly, he carefully begins to take down the candids one at a time. Each one has their own date on them, the most recent one from three weeks ago. Every picture makes him smile bigger and brighter as he removes them from the board to tuck them safely in an envelope. As the years have gone by the original pictures, the ones that started it all, have been buried under new ones, each one special in its own right.

Link smiling directly into the camera at Rhett, Link dancing behind the scenes with another model, Link sleeping soundly in Rhett’s bed, Link crawling on his hands and knees across the mattress towards Rhett, the list goes on. Then there’s the ones that Link managed to sneak of Rhett over the years. Him taking a nap by a pool, adjusting the settings on his camera at a shoot (he was nervous that day and fumbled the pieces more times than he could count but Link made him smile, he always does), lost in Boston with Jenna because they took a wrong turn, all of them serving to make him blush when he looks at them. 

While those are some of Rhett’s fondest memories, his favorites are the ones of he and Link together. Jenna captured most of the candids for them, but there are some, tucked away behind the board full of pictures, that make him smile, blush, laugh, everything. He and Link sitting on a stoop in New York; Rhett took that one, arm outstretched to get the pair fitted awkwardly in the frame. Both of them leaning close, heads ducked as they talked, Link’s pinky holding onto Rhett’s because they were in a crowded place and this was still _new_, still scary; Jenna snapped that one and said it was her favorite because they looked happy. There are ones Link snuck while watching a movie, or talking during their break, or even in bed, just laying there in a post-haze. Some are more risque, more intimate, make him flush from his head to his toes, but even those leave him smiling as he takes them down.

The phone rings, shrill in the small space, and it jerks Rhett out of his memories. He puts the last photo in the envelope and seals them all up carefully so they can make the trip safely in his bag. Smiling, he grabs the phone off its hook, offers a cheery, “Hello?”

“Okay, so, I narrowed it down to two neighborhoods,” Link starts, not even greeting Rhett with a hello back. “There’s a place I really like, it’s quiet and it’s close enough to work that you wouldn’t have to travel far, I think you’d love it. But the other place has these huge _picture windows_, Rhett!”

Laughing, Rhett holds the phone between his ear and shoulder and continues packing up his desk. He’s fine with just listening, doesn’t have to say anything for Link to know he’s there and invested in the conversation, no matter how one-sided.

“The other place is a little farther away from the studio, but we could make it work, it’s only a half hour trip if we take the bus or somethin’. Stop me if I’m ramblin’.” Link takes a breath on the other end, then barrels on, oblivious. “Either place is great, though, Rhett, really! Because you know I’ll--” Link pauses, breath hitching for a second, and the silence that follows is telling.

Rhett knows. _I’ll go where you go_. Soft and sweet, said in a moment of vulnerability two months ago when this job became an option and neither of them wanted to think of what would happen if they were separated. Link said it into Rhett’s shoulder and then his collarbone and then the dip in his throat and then everywhere else, and the decision was made. They would follow each other wherever, no matter what. 

“I know, bo, I know.” Rhett shifts the phone a little before it can slip off his shoulder. “So tell me about the picture windows. Those sound nice.” It’s a distraction, a way for Link to move on from the emotion of the situation. 

Link takes another breath and continues talking about those big picture windows and Rhett listens. 

*  
Rhett arrives in Los Angeles on a hot, nasty afternoon three days later. The sun is beating down on the pavement at LAX as he stands there waiting, bags in hand and stacked up next to him, sweat dripping down his back after just a few minutes of standing there. His things should be at the apartment with the picture windows already, with Link’s things, movers at the ready. It’s thrilling knowing that this life is what’s coming next. 

“Rhett!”

Rhett whips his head around and grins. Link walks faster, waving as he comes over, smile on his face. He hasn’t seen Link in nearly four weeks because of a shoot and the sight of him knocks the breath from Rhett’s lungs. He didn’t realize how much he missed Link until now, seeing him walking across the pavement with a big grin just for Rhett.

“Hey,” Rhett says.

Link greets him on tip-toes, kisses him quick, and grabs a couple of bags, says, “Hey,” back. “You ready?” He tilts his head, gesturing to the car service waiting by the curb a ways down the pavement. He’s breathtaking in the sunlight, dressed down in his favorite comfortable pre-shoot outfit, hair a mess, eyes bright and shining as he smiles at Rhett, already making his way to the car.

Rhett nods, hoists up the rest of his things, and follows.

_I’ll go where you go_.

“Yeah, Link, I’m ready.”

And he is. Rhett is ready for a big career with Link by his side and an apartment with a wall full of candids, each one carefully dated and displayed, special in their own unique way.


End file.
